The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag1

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God,2 indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1. The original pledge was published in the Sept. 8, 1892, issue of The Youth's Companion in Boston. For years, the authorship was in dispute between James B. Upham and Francis Bellamy of the magazine's staff. In 1939, after a study of the controversy, the United States Flag Association decided that authorship be credited to Bellamy.

When and How to Display the U.S. Flag - The United States Flag Code stipulates that as the symbol of a living country, the flag is considered in itself a living thing. These regulations outline the proper ways to display the American flag.